Optimizing allocation and scheduling for irrigation systems -- Spatial/temporal optimization for center pivot irrigation systems

In the wake of increasing environmental damage due to industrialized agriculture and growing food needs, precisely knowing when and where to irrigate how much water for maximum productivity with minimal liability is extremely critical. Optimizing irrigation, a highly context-specific problem, has been solved for decades at different levels (spatial/temporal levels of irrigation management). Yet, there is a potential for revolutionizing irrigation management by way of precision optimization.;Plant-water requirements change over space and time; water applied at one point in the field moves to another point over time; and physical constraints of irrigation systems restrict precisely addressing spatially/temporally varying plant-water requirements. A big leap in optimizing irrigation can be made if the spatial/temporal complexities associated with the phenomenon of irrigation are understood and modeled. Precise spatial/temporal complex (or spatimplex) models of irrigation procedures will result in more rigorous input information to optimization models and thus result in enhanced irrigation optimization strategies. Also, modern systems with precision irrigation capabilities such as variable-rate irrigation (VRI) center pivot systems are becoming increasingly available.;Current research on "Optimizing Allocation and Scheduling for Irrigation Systems (OASIS) -- Spatial/Temporal Optimization for Center Pivot Irrigation Systems(CP) -- OASIS-CP" puts forward the idea of optimizing irrigation management strategies based on spatimplex models of the CP. OASIS-CP generates optimal CP management strategies by way of a simple-bound constrained least-squares solution performed using spatimplex models of the CP. OASIS-CP solutions include the best speed for the moving CP boom and the best amount of irrigation water to be delivered by the CP sprinklers. The simple bounds in OASIS-CP optimization represent the physical constraints of the CP.;OASIS-CP is conceptualized, developed, and evaluated in five scenarios ranging from a most basic CP to a complex design. The goal of the five OASIS-CP scenarios is to provide incremental improvement design and operation choices for engineers and farmers. Results of the OASIS-CP research show promise for revolutionizing center pivot irrigation. The concept of OASIS-CP can be easily extended to ameliorate many other kinds of irrigation systems.